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"He sounds like a lovely dog," she said, smiling warmly at him.

"He was, until one of my brothers took it into his head to frighten him quite senseless. Let off his shotgun very close to the poor creature." Nathaniel looked down at the reins in his hand, running the leather absently between his fingers. "Pip was never quite the same after that."

"Oh, good heavens!" exclaimed Kate, bringing both hands to her mouth. "Who could be so cruel? The poor creature!"

Nathaniel gave a small, rather humourless laugh. "You are very fortunate, Miss Darcy, to have such a kind family and a warm, loving home. It is not always the case, I assure you, and I would not wish my own experience upon any child." He stopped, suddenly wondering what on earth had possessed him to tell her all this. He had known Miss Darcy for mere days, and here he was recounting the miseries of his childhood as though she were an old and trusted friend. What must she think of him? "Good gracious, I am not normally the maudlin sort," he said, attempting a smile. "I cannot think what has come over me. Do forgive me, Miss Darcy. You came out for a pleasant afternoon ride, not to listen to me complain about my wretched family."

"Oh, Mr Briar, I did not think you were complaining," Miss Darcy began, looking quite distressed by his apology. "I only wish that..."

But whatever she had been about to say was interrupted by the arrival of Little John, who emerged from the stables leading Athena and his own mount, a sturdy grey cob. "All ready, Miss Kate," he announced cheerfully, apparently quite unaware that he had interrupted anything. "Shall I give you a hand up?"

"Yes, thank you, John." Kate glanced back at Nathaniel, looking as though she wanted to say something more, but apparently thought better of it. She gave him a small smile before turning to Athena, and Nathaniel watched as Little John helped her into the saddle. Good Lord, what must she think of him now? He had been determined to keep their conversation light and agreeable, and instead he had bombarded her with the unhappy details of his miserable childhood. Why could he not keep his damnable mouth shut in her company?

Nathaniel mounted Socrates and followed Kate out of the stable yard, with Little John bringing up the rear. For a while they rode in silence, following a broad path through the park towards the western ridge. He was grateful for the opportunity to collect himself after his unfortunate outpouring about Pip. Though he could not help glancing at Miss Darcy from time to time to see whether she appeared distressed. She seemed perfectly content, however, sitting confidently upon Athena and occasionally turning to make certain he was keeping up.

"I think you will find the view quite useful, Mr Briar," she said at last, pointing towards the wooded rise ahead of them. "I have been thinking about the mound since our conversation this morning, and I believe we shall be able to see more of its shape from the ridge. The land slopes away sharply on the eastern side, but from below it is difficult to tell whether that is part of the natural hillside or something that has been altered."

"Ah, now that is precisely what I am hoping to establish," Nathaniel replied, grateful to find himself on a subject about which he could speak without making a fool of himself. "It is all very well poking about in the earth, but unless we have some understanding of how the mound sits within the landscape, we may miss something of importance. I have seen excavations where men have gone straight at a promising-looking hillock with spades like a band of enthusiastic moles only to discover afterwards that they have destroyed the very thing they ought to have been studying."

"Why do people do that? Rush in without thinking about their actions or what they are doing?" she asked, her nose scrunching as he had noticed it often did when she found something distasteful. "I feel as though everyone is always so determined to race ahead or get something done, when really they ought to stop and consider their next move."

"That is a very thoughtful observation, Miss Darcy," he said, turning towards her and immediately regretting it, for he found himself caught once more in those dark eyes. He turned his attention once more to the path ahead.

They reached the ridge a few minutes later, and Kate drew Athena to a halt beside a small stand of trees. Nathaniel dismounted and handed Socrates' reins to Little John before helping Kate down from her saddle. She thanked him and immediately set off towards the edge of the ridge, leaving him to hurry after her.

"Now, look," she said, pointing towards the mound below. "Do you see what I mean? From here, the shape is quite different. It is much more regular than the surrounding hillside, almost as though someone has built it up deliberately."

Nathaniel stood beside her and studied the ground carefully. She was right. From this position, he could see that the mound was not as uniform as it had appeared from below. The ground fell away more sharply on one side, and beyond it, he could make out a shallow depression that appeared to curve around the base.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered, before remembering himself. "Forgive me, Miss Darcy. But you are correct. Look there, just beyond the larger oak. Do you see how the ground dips?"

Kate leaned forward, following the direction of his outstretched arm. "Yes! I wondered about that. Do you suppose it could have been a ditch?"

"It is a distinct possibility. I should like to examine it more closely, but you may have saved my men a morning of unnecessary investigation." He turned towards her with a broad smile. "You have a very good eye, Miss Darcy."

She smiled back at him, and he was struck by how much the expression changed her face. She was a beautiful young woman. He was already far too aware of that. But when she smiled a full, true smile, with her eyes bright and her cheeks lifted, she was breathtaking. He had to consciously stop his body from stepping towards her.

"Thank you, Mr Briar. I have spent most of my life wandering about this estate and looking about me. My sisters would say it is a dull occupation, but I think you can find out much about the world by simply observing."

"Then I consider myself fortunate to have your assistance. I have worked with gentlemen who have spent years studying antiquities and would not have thought to examine the land from this position."

Kate looked so pleased by the compliment that Nathaniel wanted to shower them on her. To praise her beauty, her intelligence, the way her mind worked, as orderly and scientific as an Oxford don. He restrained himself. It would not do to stand upon a hillside praising Mr Darcy's daughter as if she were a Derbyshire muse.

Instead, he turned his attention back to the mound and peered at it, hoping he appeared as a man overcome by deep and worthy thoughts. Much worthier than wondering how low the freckles that scattered her collarbone went or what it would be like to capture that full mouth with his own. He must conquer these intrusive thoughts if he did not wish to drive himself mad.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "I suppose we have seen everything we can for today. We shall not know much more until the excavations begin. Shall we return to the house?"

"Yes, of course," she said, turning towards him, two spots of colour rising high on her cheeks. She bit her lip, the sight of which made him clench his fist at his side, his nails digging into his palm. "I wanted to say... it is only that... oh, bother! What I mean is that I am very glad you came to Pemberley, Mr Briar."

He looked at her and blinked rapidly, unsure what she meant or how he ought to respond.

"Only that if you had not come, we might never have made this astonishing discovery," she went on quickly, "and who knows what we shall find buried beneath the earth? It is the most fascinating, wonderful thing, and we would have known nothing about it without your expertise."

Nathaniel looked down at his boots, feeling suddenly and unaccountably bashful. "Well, yes, but it was nothing, really. It is my business to know about these things, and this was a chance discovery. I do not know that I can take so very much credit."

"Well, I think you deserve a great deal of credit," she said firmly. "And I am very much looking forward to learning from you, Mr Briar. I hope you will not find me a nuisance. I am afraid I have a terrible habit of asking questions."

"Then we shall get along famously, Miss Darcy, for I have a terrible habit of answering them at far greater length than anyone wishes to hear."